Monmouth FB must bolt Big South, and new stadium is a start

WEST LONG BRANCH -  It was a simpler time when they played the first-ever football game along Larchwood Avenue  back in 1993. There were no worries about scholarships or league standings, because there were none. And Monmouth University’s 12-0 loss to Sacred Heart was a footnote on a day when more than 5,000 alumni, students and curious onlookers showed up to be a part of the spectacle of college football, tailgate parties and all.

Which brings us to Sept. 2, and the most anticipated home opener since then. Because no matter how you analyze what will be the Hawks’ 25th season of football, it looms as the most important in program history.

Not even a close second.

A light rain was falling Monday as the fifth day of practice wound down, while workers nearby were putting the finishing touches on Kessler Stadium, the $16 million replacement for Kessler Field. The brick, steel and concrete structure will be a fitting compliment to the OceanFirst Bank Center, the $57 million arena that raised the stakes for the men’s basketball program when it opened in 2009.

Monmouth football: Tymere Berry relishing second chance after year away

Now, nearly a quarter-century after they decided playing football would be in the school’s best interest, the program has reached a crossroad.

Monmouth enters its fourth season in the Big South, the Hawks’ landing spot when the school shifted from the Northeast Conference to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, which does not play football, in 2013.

The Big South is a highly competitive, well-respected FCS conference.  But Monmouth is the only team north of North Carolina, leaving them with no regional rivals within the league. It has to be a transitional home, with an eye on a better regional fit as they enter the final year of a four-year contract, with options for the next two seasons.

The new stadium makes it clear Monmouth is committed to playing football, and playing it at a high level. Now that they have the much-needed facility upgrade, it’s the time to start building momentum on the field, thus engaging fans and energizing alumni like never before in the Hawks’ new nest.

Who knows what dominos may fall in the coming years. Everyone has their eyes on the potential departure of James Madison University, the reigning FCS national champions, from the Colonial Athletic Association, with school officials having said publicly that  they are willing to explore FBS opportunities for their football program.

Kessler Stadium nears completion as Monmouth football opens training camp

It’s the same blueprint Stony Brook used when it left the Northeast Conference, spending a season as an independent and five seasons in the Big South before joining the CAA for football. Monmouth was an independent in football in 2013.

The CAA, with a football roster that includes Delaware, Villavnova and Albany, would likely be looking for a full member, not just a football member, which would be a big commitment for Monmouth. But it would also be an incredible home for the school’s two highest profile programs.

On the field, the Big South is as wide open as it’s been since Monmouth arrived.

Powerhouse Coastal Carolina, who Monmouth nearly beat two seasons ago when they were ranked No. 1 in the nation, has moved up a level, bolting for the Sun Belt Conference, while Liberty leaves after this season and is not eligible for the league’s automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.

And while Monmouth is 4-12 in Big South play over the past three seasons, they’re approaching the 63-scholarship FCS limit, thus giving them better depth.

``I think it’s really important,’’ said Kevin Callahan, the only head coach Monmouth has ever had, about the upcoming season.

``We’re all disappointed with where we finished last year. Starting the nonconference portion of the schedule and really getting on a roll and having big wins over perennial playoff team, and then getting into the Big South and losing some close games early on and then failing to win a game in the Big South, coming off the 2015 season when we finished third in the conference.

``We all anticipated finishing much higher than that, so we think this is a year about getting back to where we expect to be.’’

As well as positioning the program for whatever opportunities might arise in the coming years.

Stephen Edelson is an Asbury Park Press columnist: sedelson@gannettnj.com